Combination kit and brush rack



June 14, 1960 R. ENDLICH 2,940,200

COMBINATION KIT AND BRUSH RACK Filed June 12, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 14, 1960 R. ENDLICH COMBINATION KIT AND BRUSH RACK 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 12, 1957 June 14, 1960 R. ENDLICH COMBINATION KIT AND BRUSH RACK 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 12, 1957 WWQQM United States atent COMBINATION KIT AND BRUSH RACK Rose Endlich, Indian Trail, Harrison, N.Y.

Filed June 12 1957, Ser. No. 665,274

1 Claim. (Cl. 41-4) This invention relates broadly to artists equipment and in its more specific aspects it relates to a combination kit and 'brush rack wherein the rack is combined with the kit in such a manner that it serves a dual function, it functions as a rack during the painting operation and when the painting operation is not in progress it functions as a cover for the brushes which are stored in the kit; and the nature and objects of the invention will be readily recognized and understood by those skilled in the arts to which it relates in the light of the following explanation and detailed description of the accompanying drawings illustrating what I at present believe to be preferred embodiments or mechanical expressions of my invention from among various other forms, arrangements, combinations and constructions, of which the invention is capable within the spirit and scope thereof.

It is conventional practice for artists to carry and use a plurality of different brushes while working, these brushes may be of different sizes, quality and the like and difierent brushes may be used for the difierent paint colors which are being used. In any event it is customary to have available several or many diflerent brushes, and it has been my experience that a problem is constantly present during the painting operation as to where to put the brush or brushes which are not being used but may be required at any moment. Many artists merely hold the extra brushes in the hand not being used for painting but this is not desirable for many reasons. Others merely lay them on any available surface and then pick one of them up when it is desired to use it. This is also an unsatisfactory practice for many reasons. For instance, the brushes are placed in a disorderly manner and selection of the desired brush is not always an easy matter, and in many cases no suitable surface is available where the painting operation is to take place. The brushes in many instances are relatively expensive and somewhat fragile and placing them on and picking them from a surface in disorderly arrangement often is deleterious to the brushes reducing if not destroying their usefulness.

Artists customarily provide themselves with a small case or kit in which are carried brushes, paints and other equipment and materials which the artist requires in his work. Often the kit may be supported on a table or the like supporting structure adjacent the artist while he is at work. In this way the equipment and materials may be within reach but the extra brushes or those not momentarily being used, are in a disorderly array in a brush compartment of the conventional artists kit.

I am aware that brush holders for artists brushes are known in the prior art, however all of such holders which have come to my notice consist generally of jars or plates with apertured tops or holes therein which are adapted to receive and vertically support the brushes. With all such brush holders it is of course necessary to provide some support for them which is within reach of the artist and preferably at a convenient height. These prior art holders are not designed to be carried and stored in the usual artists kit.

ice

There is clearly a need for a brush rack or holder which may be carried and stored in any more or less conventional artists kit when not in use and when in use may be easily removed from the kit and mounted in operative position on the kit in accessible but out of the way position relative to the working artist.

I have evolved such a brush holder for artists which overcomes all of the objectionable features which are inherent in prior methods of holding brushes when not in use. My invention provides means for holding brushes in an orderly fashion for ease of selection by the user and to eliminate possible injury to the brushes. The brush holder which I have devised may be stored in the kit when not in use and when in such stored position Within the kit it has a positive and highly advantageous function to perform. It is so constructed relative to the compartmentized kit that it serves as a cover and guard for the brushes stored in the kit and maintains them in proper position within the box preventing them from moving around inside the kit as it is carried about.

The brush holder may be easily removed from the kit when it is desired to use it and means are provided for mounting it in upright position on the kit where it is accessible to the artist yet out of his way when painting. The mounting means and the operationof mounting are simple and require no skill whatsoever.

I have also provided a member which is removably mounted within the kit and which functions in a simple and efficient manner to maintain the brushes within the desired compartment of the kit even when the kit is being carried and moved about. This will be of advantage to every user of kits of this general character for it maintains the kit in a neat condition, protects 'the stored brushes and reduces the noise from brushes rattling about in the kit.

I have designed the brush holder of this invention so that it may be economically produced and to have lasting qualities under normal use conditionsl With the foregoing general objects, features and results in view, as well as certain others which will be apparent from the following explanation, the invention consists in certain novel features in design, construction, mounting and combination of elements, as will be more fully and particularly referred to and specified hereinafter.

Referring to the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an artists kit with the brush holder in stored brush controlling position therein.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the kit and the brush holder in operative position mounted thereon. 1

Fig. 3 is an end elevated view of the brush holder.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section through the kit (parts thereof being broken away) illustrating the brush .holder in stored brush controlling position therein.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view illustrating the means for mounting the brush holder in operative position on the kit.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view through the kit illustrating the brush rack and the stored brush guard in nested position within the kit.

Fig. 7 is a view in perspective of the stored brush guard removed from the kit.

Fig. 8 is a view taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 6.

In the accompanying drawings I have used the numeral 1 to designate the artists kit which may be of any appropriate dimensions and made of any suitable material. The kit comprises a bottom 3, end walls 5, a front wall 7 and a rear wall 9. A cover 11 having inwardly directed wings or flanges 13 is hingedly associated with the rear wall 9. A canvas or the like 15 may be slidably mounted in slots in the flanges 13. Ahandle 17 may be pivotally fixed on front wall 7 and any suitable fastening means 19 maybe provided for fastening the cover in closed position. a

It is usual practice to divide the interior of the kit into several compartments for separately carrying the equipment: and materials. therein. As one-example from among various compartment arrangements which may be used I have provided a front elongated compartment 21 which preferably'extends the full Width .of the kit and may be conveniently used as a brush storage area or compartment. The compartment 21 is separated from the remainder of the interior space of the kit by a partition 23 and I may provide a further partition25spaced rear- .wardly from and extending parallel to said partition 23 and transverse partitions 27 extending between and fixed .topartitions 23 and 25 to' divide'the central area of 'the space into three compartments 29. A further'elongated compartment is provided between partition t25 and rear drawings illustrates the brush holder in brush guarding position within the compartment and shows that it will be received therein with a relatively close fit and will be removably maintained therein by the clamping members 55 which are in engagement with an end Wall 5. The brush holder in its brush guarding position will rest on the fingers 41 and end walls .47 and 53 and will keep any brushes from being moved from the compartment when the kit is carried and moved about. a

When the artist desires to commence the painting operation and have his brushes and other equipment and materials readily availabletohim he merely inserts his finger wall 9 of the kit. It will be, observed thatlall of the'par'ti- .tions are of reduced height relative to the walls'of ,the

V kit, the conventional artists kits are constructed in thisv V manner. It is'to be distinctly understood that .my invention maybe incorporated with-kitswhaving other compartment arrangements and that such combination will fall within the spirit and scope of this invention.

,The brush holder or rack and brush g'uard'conipri'ses a rectangular generally box-like structure which I have .designatedin its entirety by the numeral 31- The brush holder is of rigid integral construction and maybe made of any light weight material such as plastic, light weight metal or the like. The brush holder '31 is formed to pro vide what I shall term a supporting back? 33 having a provide between them a plurality of vertically spaced brush supporting fingers 41. 3 Consideration of the draw-.

ings and particularly Fig. 3 thereof 'discloses that the notches 39 are cut or otherwise formed in the longitudinally extending side walls at an angle to. the supporting .backto thereby cause'thetop supporting'surface' 43 of each finger 41 to extend rearwardly and downwardly and.

the under [surface or edge 45 of each finger 41 to also extendrearwardly and downwardly for agpurpose to be hereinafter described. a It will now be appreciated thatl have provided a series of fingers along each edge of the holder to therebyprovide a plurality of pairs of trans- ,versely spa'ced brushsup'porting fingers for receiving and supporting thereon a brush which,"in supp orted position, 1 rests on and extends between a pair of fingers.

The brush holder includes a top transverse wall 47 and at the opposite or bottom end of the brush holder 31 I provide a transverse wall 53 and on the exterior of said transverse bottom end wall 53 I fix by any suitable means a pair of spaced clamping elements designated generally .by the numeral 55, each such element may comprise a length of spring metal. strap bent to "provide extended spaced apart spring arms 57 each of which is bent back upon itself to form spring. clampingfingers 59 which,

aslwillbe explained, are adapted to clamp a supporting member therebetwee'n.

In use the compartment'21 may contain a plurality of paint brushesstored therein and ,theother compartments of the kit may contain various other items of equipment whichuth'e artist will need to use in a painting'operation.

When, the various materials are stored in the 'kit the brush hqldehorrack'ial'is positioned within the brush com partment zlwiththe'supporting back'33 inuppermost position as clearly illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

It willrbe'recognized that the width of the brush holder is just slightly less than the Width of the compartment and the length of the brush holder from endfwall 47 to and including the clamping members 55 is substantially the same as the length of the compartment; Fig. 4 of the of extruded plastic or the like.

in the hole 35 in brush holder 31 and lifts the holder from its stored and brush holding position within the compartment. He then disposes the holder in an. erect position substantially perpendicular with respect to the bottom of the kit with the clamping members 55 on the lower end'of the holder. With the holder inthisiposition it is mounted in operative brush :holdingposition merely by pushing it downwardly over ajn'endwall 5 of the kit with the wall projected betweenthe-fingers 59 of thepair of clamps 55. It will now beappreciated that the brush holding fingers 41 are directed inwardly over the-box and that any number of brushes'61 may besupported in the notches 39 on the fingers in readily accessible position to theiworking artist. The brush holder 31 may, of course, be mounted on either end-wall 51, whichever is found to be more convenient for the individual artists it will be appreciated that because. of the shape of the notches 39 the brushes may be inserted and-removed with facility and when supported in a notch on thesloping supporting surface of a finger; the brushes cannot roll from their supported positions. When thebrush holder 'is in operative erect'position as illustrated in Fig. 2 er the drawings I may removably mount oneor two turpentine or the like cups 48 on end wall47'by'means of a clamp 49 which is fixed to the bottom of-the cups,

A cover763 having a finger opening 65 therein may also be removably positioned in the elongated reareompartment ofthe 'kit in order to keepthe materials stored therein from moving therefrom. when the kit is carried about.

'In Figures 6, 7 and s of the drawing s l have illus- 'trated a 'form ofstorage rack-for protecting thebrushes when they are stored; inthe brush compartmentof the kit and for keeping them; fromi moving' out of t he cornpartment when the kit is carried and moved about.

.The storage rack is designated; in its entirety by the numeral 67 and maybe formedot plastic, light metal or any other suitable material. The storage rack is-of substantially the same length as the length of'the rack 31 so that it will fit orynest therein in a manner to be described, and it will be understood, that the storage rack is of substantially the same width as that ot the rack 31. The storage rack comprises a flat base 69 to which are fixed a pair of upstanding generally Z shaped divider members 71 which are spaced apart'and an intermediate divider member. 73 which: is preferably of less' height than the two end .divider members 7l. Each divider member may consist of a web 75, a lower flange 77'which is fixed to the base and an upper *flange 79. As will be apparent from consideration of the drawings each of the upper flanges extendiin'the same direction and each of the lower flanges extend in .the same direction Each of the upper flangesi form in effect a'cover or partial closure for the area between adiacent webs as-is clearly'show'n Fig. 8 of .thedrawings. It is to be understood that the lower flangevmay be eliminated if the storage rack is made"; for instance,

When brushes are tobe stored in the compartment 21 of the kit and are positioned therein the storage rack is first placed in the compartment as is clearly illustrated in Fig. 8 of the drawings. 'With the rackin such position brushes are placed in the rack in'the'areas between the webs of the divider members whereupon the brush holder or rack 31 is placed in position thereover as illustrated in Fig. 6 of the drawings. Thus, the back of the brush holder or rack functions as the cover for the area between the top flanges and since the storage rack is preferably disposed in the kit with the upper flanges '79 directed toward the front wall of the kit so that when it is carried the upper flanges will be directed upwardly to thereby prevent the brushes from falling from the areas defined by the Webs of the dividers when the kit is being carried about. It is to be also understood that the storage rack may be easily removed from the compartment of the kit merely by grasping the two end dividers which are of greater height than the central divider member.

It will now be appreciated that I have devised a combination kit and brush rack which provides ideal storage conditions for brushes when not in use and a brush holder or rack which disposes brushes in readily accessible position to the working artist.

I claim:

Equipment for artists including, in combination, an artists kit having at least one compartment therein 6 adapted for storage of equipment and provided with vertical end wall forming a part thereof, and a brush holder removably received in said compartment to maintain stored equipment therein, said brush holder being of less length than the compartment, spring means on one end of said brush holder in engagement with an end Wall of the compartment the other end of said brush holder being in engagement with the other end wall of the compartment, and said brush holder when in operative brush supporting position being removably mounted on one of said vertical end walls by said spring means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 280,278 Woodward June 26, 1883 428,239 Way May 20, 1890 1,840,595 Moore Jan. 12, 1932 1,901,861 Baker Mar. 21, 1933 2,007,224 Stoekle July 9, 1935 2,170,709 Cutrow Aug. 22, 1939 2,718,722 Barg Sept. 27, 1955 2,806,311 Havens Sept. 17, 1957 

